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MMA News: December 5th

Mixed Martial Arts is 90% mental, somebody somewhere had to say it.

But that wasn't more evident than this past month for Invicta strawweight champion Carla Esparza. After spending Thanksgiving at home with family news surfaced that her training partner at Team Oyama gym Shane Del Rosario had passed away. Reports then suggested that he was still alive. This continued on a day where you are supposed to give thanks for all that you are grateful.

After an up-and-down camp for her title defense against Claudia Gadelha at Invivta 7 this Saturday, Esparza was delighted when she found out Del Rosario was breathing on his own.

Recently she decided to dedicate her fight Saturday night to Del Rosario,

"Shane is the one guy everyone in the gym gravitates to. He's so kind, so warm, such an easygoing guy. He's one of those people in life you come across that no one in their right mind would ever say a bad word about. When he's in the gym, it picks everyone else up. As along as there's still hope, I'm going to have faith and we're all going to be stronger. I never gave up hope.As of Tuesday he's off life support, he responded to nurses and squeezed his mother's hand, he's gone in for another surgery. This could still go either way, but there are encouraging signs."

News that Del Rosario has come off of life support and breathing on his own wasn't the only good news she has heard recently. As Dana White announced on the Ultimate Fighter that the next addition for women will be the straw weight division.

The news couldn't be better for Esparza,

"Of course I heard about it. I think it's great. But I think it's a thing that's great for the sport, not for me. Let me make this clear: I'm happy in Invicta. I'm under contract to Invicta and I'm happy with the way they've treated me. But I think it's an awesome thing for the sport of women's MMA. If they're adding another weight class, that means they're committed to this, and it's going to mean more opportunities for more fighters. That's an awesome thing."

-Nate Diaz is working his way to a title shot after knocking out Gray Maynrd and is using social media to stir up the drama.

But the champ isn't biting just yet.

Anthony Pettis gives a compliment-jab to Diaz,

"Nate Diaz has been talking so much and in his last fight, he actually looked pretty decent, but harder to judge against Gray Maynard. I hope Nate works his way up so we can fight. Nate's been talking for a while. Even after his last fight, saying 'this is the No. 1 and No. 2 lightweights in the world.' That's taking a shot directly at me. That belt's in my front room. It's there for a reason."

The chatter means nothing right now because Pettis is out for another six-eight months, was supposed to fight Josh Thompson and has a tentative dance with Jose Aldo.

-UFC Fight Night 33 is taking place this Frid.....errr Saturday. Depends where you live. The fight goes Friday night in Australia and then Saturday in the Americas. The weigh-ins will take place this evening and can be live streamed here.

-Speaking of Pat Barry he is taking offense to people saying his ground game sucks,

"I should be faster. I should be capable of moving more than he does. That should be the plan and honestly, I think I hit harder than he does if not harder. So that'll be good to my advantage also since I am sort of a small package. He's as tall as he is wide, like he's all around just a big guy. So, if he is capable of getting the fight to the ground, he's going to have the somewhat upperhand. But, I don't necessarily suck on the ground either. I'd like to keep it standing as much as possible. Regardless of what anybody on the planet says, people would rather see two guys punch and kick each other than they would like to see guys wrestle and submit each other."

-Amongst the millions excited for another women's title defense is Cat Zingano because she is expecting a title shot against the winner.

Zingano was originally supposed to coach opposite to Ronda Rousey for the first ever female cast of the Ultimate FIghter, but do to injury was replaced by Meisha Tate.

Zingano tweeted,

"Got the news today! I am cleared to train BJJ again and can do light pad work! Two more injections by Dr. Fady Elias of Orthoregeneration.com and im good to start sparring again March 1st! Heck yeah!!"

-Finally, Daniel 'DC' Cormier recently signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC.

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